Pro Ganache

"Ganache recipes can vary greatly in chocolate to cream ratios - this version falls somewhere in the middle and is great! I like to simplify the process by chopping the chips in my food processor until..." See more they resemble fine crumbs. Then I heat the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan until it just starts to bubble around the edges, pour the hot cream down the feed tube of the food processor, add the vanilla and give it a whirl... in seconds you have wonderful ganache. I should mention that chocolate chips contain stabilizers that allow them to keep their shape while they are warm, and those stabilizers don't melt down smoothly like chocolate does, so for a smoother finished product, I strain the warm ganache through a fine mesh strainer (this is not a necessary step, but will give more professional results). Use this ganache warm as a pourable glaze, let it cool to room temp (over night) and use like a standard frosting, or chill until firm and whip with a heavy stand mixer until it's lighter in color and spreadable. You can even use this ganache to make authentic chocolate truffles - just roll the chilled ganache (unwhipped) into balls and coat with cocoa powder, chopped nuts, or whatever. By the way, I used this recipe to cover a chocolate wedding cake and it turned out wonderfully! One more hint: if you use this ganache to "frost" a cake, but be sure to bring the cake to room temperature before cutting (using a hot knife). You'll love this extremely versatile and tasty recipe!"

"Normally I insist on using a good quality chocolate for ganache but today I just threw a doctored up cake mix together quickly and thought this chocolate chip version would be "good enough." To my su..." See morerprise, it was better than just "good enough" and I was pleased to glaze my cake with it. (And I even forgot to add the vanilla!) I chilled it just long enough to make it of thick pouring consistency so that it adhered to the cake nicely without most of it running off. I had quite a bit left over, so I just refrigerated it for another time. Maybe I'll melt it again and use it as a glaze for cupcakes, or a fudgy topping for cheesecake. Or maybe I'll let it come to room temperature and whip the heck out of it for a fluffier frosting. Or maybe I'll heat it up and pour it over ice cream, or stir some into hot milk, or...."

"I cooked this a day ahead of time and put it in the fridge overnight. To get the ganache to a pourable state, I let it get to room temperature then put the glass bowl I had it in over a pot of simmer..." See moreing water to 're-melt' it. It was perfect. I poured it over a layered ice cream cake I made for a birthday and they were very impressed. Delish! =)"